Q&A: Queensryche Talks Lawsuit, Plans 'Return to History' Tour

It's been a long, strange summer for rock that's heralded plenty of shocks. The news bulletins for 2012 include the overseas incarceration of Lamb of God's Randy Blythe; the deaths of such talents as Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord and engineer George Marino; Van Halen's tour cancellation; and Against Me! singer Tom Gabel's gender reassignment.

Add the departure of vocalist Geoff Tate from Queensryche to that list. After weeks of rumors, drummer Scott Rockenfield, guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson announced June 20 Tate had left the band due to creative differences. He was replaced by Crimson Glory singer Todd La Torre. Two days later, Tate and his wife, former Queensryche manager Susan Tate, filed a lawsuit in Washington state's King County Superior Court claiming the three wrongfully fired the singer and will damage Queensryche's name by continuing without him. The group defeated an injunction on July 13 that would have prevented it from conducting business until the suit is settled. It's scheduled for trial Nov. 18, 2013.

Before AGPS Management senior manager Glen Parrish informed Billboard on July 16 that Superior Court Judge Carol A. Schapira had denied the injunction request (and that AGPS/Front Line Management Group was representing the band), the Internet had buzzed with Tate's account of his firing, which he gave to Rolling Stone and Billboard. The chatter became a roar when declarations by the three defendants, among other court documents, were posted online. Whereas Tate accused his former bandmates of laziness and business ineptitude, the trio charged him with creative obstruction, questionable business dealings and violent behavior. The latter accusation is chiefly attributed to an April 14 pre-show incident in Brazil, when Tate allegedly attacked his bandmates and repeatedly spit on them after learning they fired his wife, step-daughter and son-in-law (all of whom were employed by the band). Fan-shot video of the show also appeared online showing Tate spitting in Rockenfield's direction and directly at him during the performance.

The group filed a countersuit on July 12 refuting the Tates' complaint. Interviewed via conference call from Washington, Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson spoke freely about their side of the story, but their focus is on moving forward. Parrish and his partner, Paul Geary, were partially chosen as management, according to Wilton, due to their interest "in rebuilding the brand." Sullivan Bigg's Bigg Time Entertainment-which reps acts like Vince Neil, Great White and Stryper -- now handles booking.

Queensryche is joining the March 16-20, 2013, Monsters of Rock II cruise, and will perform one-off dates like Lincoln City, Ore.'s Chinook Winds Casino Oct. 19-20 and Hollywood's House of Blues on Nov. 24. The band also plans the Return to History tour in 2013 that it hopes to take worldwide. La Torre made his band debut during a pair of June shows (when the group played under the name Rising West), and, gratified by fan response to the set list, the outing will follow the vein of primarily focusing on the act's earliest material from its debut EP and first full-length, The Warning. "We have to literally sit down and learn [some of that] stuff because we haven't actually played it as long as the fans haven't heard it," Rockenfield says.

But Tate also seems to be planning to perform under the Queensryche name. He's listed on the website for booking agency Monterey International as "Queensryche Starring Geoff Tate: The Original Voice," but a band lineup isn't listed. Dates are posted at Pollstar.com for him to play such dates as Alice Cooper's tour in November. Queensryche's lawyer, in a court response filed July 12, attests this is part of Tate's "continued [interference] with defendants' forward progress" to tour with the band's name. This charge also includes refusing to release control of the band's social media properties, an issue Rockenfield says is being circumvented by the launch of a new Facebook page (Facebook.com/QueensrycheOfficial) and website (QueensrycheOfficial.com).

When asked by Billboard, Tate declined to comment at this time.

In the following Q&A, Rockenfield, Jackson and Wilton discuss working on demos for their next album, different aspects of the lawsuit and their response to a recent comment Tate made during the taping of "That Metal Show."